Genetics--That's not why you're overweight

As a personal trainer, I hear more often than not, "I just have bad genetics." Whenever I hear that, I'd like to respond with, "No, you just have a bad attitude." Let's set something straight here: Genetics don't make you fat. PERIOD.

Genetics give you the body type you have, your shape, and yes, even a predisposition to WHERE your fat will lie on your body. For instance, when i gain weight, the first place it goes is my butt/hips. That's genetics (and scientifically, it's part of being female). Some women gain it in their belly first; some women, in their boobs. HOWEVER, one more time: GENETICS DON'T MAKE YOU FAT.

So, what does make you fat? Here's a list:

• Your lifestyle
• The food you put in your mouth
• Excuses

By 'lifestyle,' I mean what you do on a daily basis. Are you sedentary? Are you active? I sit at a computer ALL. DARN. DAY. (As does most of the working population.) But I make it a point to get up and move at least every 30 minutes. I have a nifty little device called a 'Jawbone' which has an alarm on it. If i'm sedentary for more than 30 minutes, it buzzes on my wrist--reminding me to get up and move. I'll usually get up and do squats. (Always gotta work those glutes!) If you need a reminder, then set your Outlook to ding a few times a day! Heck, get up and walk to the water machine and get a cup of water--do SOMETHING to get moving.

The food you put in your mouth: The easiest thing to change, yet people have the hardest time with this. Eat clean. Eat clean. Eat clean. And one more time: EAT CLEAN. That means no: white flour, enriched flour, white sugar. Remove those few things from your diet, and you're pretty much golden. AND i promise you--you'll see a difference in your body within a week. No, not some kind of crazy, magical, weight-loss promise--A REAL PROMISE. Take care of your body by feeding it right, and your body will thank you by reducing bloat and functioning on a higher level. You'll feel better, sleep better, and look better!

Excuses: I have heard them all. They range from the usual, "I just don't have the time" to the lamest of all, "I'm just too tired to exercise or eat right." WHAT??? You're kidding me, right? With 2 kids, a full-time job, homeschooling (thank God we're out for summer), competitive gymnastics, theatre, piano, Girl Scouts, etc., I have an entire reel of excuses I could use. But I don't. You know why? BECAUSE THEY'RE EXCUSES. Quit making them. You shouldn't have a flippin' excuse for not treating yourself right. It's just as easy to walk around the block than it is to sit your butt on the couch and watch tv. And guess what? If you're tired before you walk around the block, you're going to be tired when you sit down to watch tv, too. Choose the better option. Don't sit there and tell yourself you're too tired to eat something healthy because 'McDonald's is faster,' or 'a frozen pizza is easier.' You're kidding, right? Believe me, I have days when I can't cook; honestly, most days. But we always have healthy options! Our favorite: Amy's Organic Burritos. Clean and tasty. Kashi Organic pizzas--yum. Oatmeal--i'm surprised we're not pooping straight oats. Snacks: mini carrots, fruit, greek yogurt...the list goes on. It's NOT HARD. Don't be a lazy eater.

Do you want it? Do you WANT to be healthier?? Than you've got to make changes. YOU'VE got to commit to change. Don't fall into unhealthy habits, and break the unhealthy habits you DO have. You can do it.

I did it. :)

Steph 

Can i have some cheese with my whine, please?

UGH. Just...UGH. I tried to do a pullup today. Ouch. Breastcancer has really pissed me off--and although the CANCER is gone, i'm still dealing with it's crappy cousin, Repurcussions.

I love pushups. Now they feel so funky, I don't want to do them. Think of what a pushup does to your pecs. Now, imagine you have balloons UNDER your pecs. What happens to said balloons when you do a pushup? Yeah. They squish into your armpits--well, towards your armpits. And the pecs squeeze the balloons. Dammit. Same thing happens when I do presses, too.

I just tried a pullup. Like pushups, I LOVE pullups. 11 non-kip is my 'good day' record. I can't even pull myself up once now. Wait....let me rephrase. I attempted to pull myself up, then it felt like someone lit a fire under my right side, so i stopped. Again, DAMMIT.

I know patience is key here...but when it comes to working out, i'm quite limited on patience.

So...what AM i happy about when it comes to my recuperating fitness level? Hmmm.... I'm using 15s for shoulders (I had to start at 5s); 25s for lawnmowers (again, had to start at 5s). I have most of my flexibility back in my chest wall. I was able to do handstands against the wall last week, with TINY presses. I was able to do a backbend/bridge with minimal pulling in my chest. My cardio is completely back, which i'm insanely happy about.

Bummer: Arm strength definitely isn't back yet. And...I still can't scoop ice cream. --sigh--

I like to end these 'ranty' types of posts with my reaffirmation: At least my boobs didn't kill me.

Things I'm teaching my daughters

Raising children to be aware of the food around them is tough these days. They're swarmed by junk food, fast food, and images of unhealthiness. Case in point: My oldest daughter has been begging to go to Burger King. Why? Because she wants the toy that's in their kids meal.

I've made a point to RARELY take my kids to fast food joints. Why? Because the healthy food choices are limited. So many people say, "But we HAVE to--we have no TIME to eat at home." Listen, I work full time, and the chicks are involved in something every day of the week--we MAKE time. When parents say that, I hear, "I don't have time for my child's health." Hey, I'm not saying i'm perfect. My kids have eaten a McDonald's chicken nugget before. But to be 100% honest with you, I can say we've been to McDonald's (or any other fast-food place) LESS than 5 times this year. Next time your kid wants you to take them to McDonald's, how 'bout you hand them a can of Crisco. Maybe a bottle of vegetable oil. Same difference.

In our home, we always have a stash of kid-friendly snacks: cereal bars, low-fat granola bars, nilla wafers, to name a few. Yep, i know we're looking at enriched flour products, but those options are a LOT better than french fries and chicken(?) nuggets--both deep fried. We also always have an assortment of fruit.

I'm NOT a health "nut," but I AM a health addict. I choose to be healthy both for myself, and my children. I want to set a good example for them. I don't always know if I'm doing it right, but there are little things that lead me to believe i'm doing a pretty good job:

• Clairey's homework was to discuss, with me, a book her teacher read in class. "What DIDN'T you like about the book?" I asked. "That the mommy was on a diet," she said. "Diet's aren't good for you--she should just eat healthy food and make good choices."
• Jenna had a friend spend the night last week, and as they were snacking, I was drinking a Shakeology. "What's that?" Jenna's friend asked. Jenna looked at her and said, "That's a Shakeology drink. It's 'the healthiest meal of the day'! That one drink has so many good things in it, it's like going to the salad bar FIVE times! It's good stuff."

Yep. Being healthy is GOOD STUFF. So do it. Do it for you. Do it for your kids.